Future Shock
by Chaotica
Summary: Dib has a small altercation with Zim that throws him far into the future where he learns many things that he didn't know he had to.
1. part 1

(A/N: I'd like to announce through this that when I posted 'Nightmare Zim' I had been unaware it wasn't allowing any anonymous reviews. I fixed that and would appreciate feedback on that fic. Thank you.)   
  
Future Shock   
  
Dib dodged laser fire as he fled through the under ground lab. Zim cackled as he followed on his extended legs.   
"Fool Human! I'll destroy you this time!" Zim cackled he suddenly stopped and recoiled.   
Dib glanced around him wondering what made Zim do that. He found only more weird and oddly shaped machinery. He took a step to the left.   
"No don't touch that!" Zim said in fear.   
Dib looked at the pink machine then back up a Zim. He moved his hand close seeing Zim start to hyperventilate the way he only does when he's truly afraid. Thinking better of keeping up this standstill he moved away, but his coat shifted in the movement and brushed against it.   
"Stupid Human!" Zim screamed when the machine, hyper sensitive to touch, hummed to life.   
"What is it?" Dib asked frantically, all thoughts of their fight gone. "What does it do?"   
Zim had only a moment to jump back as the machine sent out a blue wave that immediately imploded back on itself. The Irken sat up and shook his head looking for Dib but found only a twisted lump of metal.   
He stood up and brushed himself off. "At least the Dib-Human is out of my way. But such a pity about the transporter. So much work down the drain." He said it with such contempt that he almost wished the Human were still alive to yell at.   
He retracted his legs and headed up to the upper levels. Maybe now he could manage taking over this dirt ball once and for all.   
***   
Dib moaned as he opened his eyes. He could only remember darkness and a stomach clenching fall for the longest time. Then hard concrete under him. But that was all.   
His stomach lurched as someone picked him up. "Oh no." He mumbled before he threw up. He feebly tried to wipe his mouth when the other person helped him.   
"It's all right, I was told you'd be ill." The person said in scratchy male voice. "You'll feel better once I get you to base Dib."   
Dib tried to focus his eyes but the person had removed his glasses and he was too weak to really fight. All he saw was a dark figure. "How did you know." His sentence trailed off as he blacked out.   
The person held Dib carefully as he walked with the help of extra metal legs.   
***   
"How is he?"   
Red eyes looked up into a single amber eye with a silvery companion.   
"He's fine." The Irken said looking back down at the floor where he sat. "He's sleeping off the nausea."   
The Human nodded under his hood. "I remember that. He'll be here soon." He sat down next to the Irken pulling a worn trench coat closer around him.   
"Do, do you really want to go through with this?" The Irken asked scratching behind an antenna.   
"We have no real choice." The Human said fingering the oddly shaped metal ring around his replaced eye.   
They had been fighting side by side for so long that they could hardly recall back to the time when they had fought each other.   
The Irken fingered a small skull pendant around his neck, given to him by a long lost member of their team. A purple haired fighter who had lost her life to an exploding droid. "We should get word on our attempt on the 'Massive' soon." He said.   
"That's good."   
They both looked up as the door creaked open. A boy with a wild spike of black hair and twin amber eyes peeked in. He opened the door wider and was openly horrified at seeing the Irken and horribly familiar Human in the room.   
The Irken got up followed by his hesitant companion. "You're awake. Good." He said.   
Dib clenched his fists reflexively. "You're the one who picked me up."   
The Irken nodded. He tilted his head to note his Human friend standing nervously to the side. So this is how it all happened? Interesting.   
"Who are you?" Dib asked.   
The Irken looked at him with familiar ruby eyes. "You know me Dib. We fought for so long I'm slightly disappointed you don't know already."   
"Zim." Dib whispered.   
The tall Irken nodded. "Yes. Welcome to fifteen years into your future Dib." He opened long arms to show himself. "As you can see, I've changed a lot. Though I'm only five-four by your measurement of height."   
He noticed Dib's eyes flick to the only other person in the room. He turned to the Human. "Oh yes."   
The Human took a step forward. As he did he lifted a hand to remove his hood. Dib blinked as he saw an unruly spike of black hair and amber eyes. But they were not both amber. The left one was silver and surrounded in burnished metal, the pink line of a scar ran down over his eyebrow, over the eye and onto his cheek.   
"Hello Dib." The man said.   
Dib swallowed hard. "Hello, Dib."   
***   
Dib looked up at his older self. "Why?"   
Mismatched eyes lowered. "I had to."   
"That's not a good enough reason." Dib said a bit angrily.   
"If it was a good enough reason for me it will be a good enough reason for you." His older self said. "You will return back, but it will be four months later." He seemed agitated. "In that time he had not only destroyed a lot of Earth but the armada is almost there. You'll land in the midst of a battle, between Human resistance and Battle Drones. But not drones controlled by Zim."   
Dib tried to speak but was cut off by the older of the two. "He was betrayed. His own leaders left him to die in a battle they had ordered him to commence. Shortly after you arrive you'll be hit with shrapnel." He pointed to his silver eye. "This will be the result, only Zim has the ability to fix it and heal you. You have to let him."   
"Why should I?" Dib demanded.   
"It's the only way there is."   
"I don't believe that. Zim would only lie to me and try to destroy me."   
The older one shook his head. "No. By this time he is nearly lost. You bring back something in him that his leaders broke in their betrayal." He looked off to the side. "Something I still can't give a name."   
Dib brooded for a moment not wanting to believe any of this. "Why do, did, you." He wanted to ask something but couldn't quite get it out.   
"He is my friend. It took years of being only an ally to get him to be my friend. But he is." The older Dib looked almost pleased with himself. "It's like I won against that old angry Zim."   
Dib rubbed his arm and looked down. He suddenly felt tingly. "What's going on?" He asked holding up hand that glowed slightly with blue.   
"You're being pulled back." The older Dib said. "It works like a rubber band only you won't be snapped back right. Like I told you."   
"I don't' want to go back, not yet." Dib said sounding terrified.   
"There's nothing I can do to stop it."   
"Please." Dib said panicking. The tingling turned to a dropping sensation. "Tell me what to do!"   
"I can't." His other said reaching out slightly but only finding air where he saw his younger self glowing brightly with blue. "You'll know." He bit back the memories he knew there was no way he could stop from happening. "Trust him."   
The blue light became blinding and then collapsed on itself leaving only the echo of a whimper.   
***   
Dib spun around and ran. The over sized metal monster stalked him with giant steps. He heard the whine of incoming fire and turned to see the droid explode. He fell back from the blast and screamed in pain.   
He groped around with his free hand as he held the other over his left eye. Blood flooded out from through his fingers. Eventually he fell down a hole landing hard on solid ground. He'd been thorough too much of this lately.   
The sounds of battle above were muffled by the shelter.   
"Who's there?" A high scratchy voice demanded.   
A heavy metallic form dropped down on Dib. "It's Dib, and he's leaking ketchup!" Gir said sounding cheerful as ever.   
"Dib?" Rough thin hands pulled Dib's arms from his face. "Mother of Irk. Gir, medical mode."   
"I obey master!" There was the sound of mechanical parts shifting and Dib's eye stopped hurting. There was only a light pressure.   
Dib opened his other eye and saw Zim. Bruised, dirty, and horribly under fed. "Zim." He croaked through the dust he had inhaled.   
Zim's cold eyes seemed to change. "Don't speak." He said. "You'll only weaken."   
Gir finished his work leaving Dib with an oddly shaped burnished metal ring around his eye and a silver orb replacing the destroyed one. A hastily healed angry red scar ran over his eyebrow, over his eye and down his cheek.   
Dib suddenly clenched at Zim's arm and tried to talk but fell back unconscious.   
Gir looked at his master questioningly. "Master?"   
Zim looked up and listened to now distant sound of war. "We stay here tonight Gir." He looked down at Dib. "We may be able to contact the resistance to help now." He sighed. "I just hope he'll help us with that." Then as an afterthought. "I'll have to explain so much."   
Dibs' mismatched eyes peeked open. "Zim."   
Alarmed Zim looked down.   
Dib coughed forcing dust out of his lungs. "I trust you."   
  
The End...sort of 


	2. part 2

(A/N: Okay, okay...chapter 2. Heh, demanding little buggers aint'cha?)  
  
Future Shock  
  
Zim waited as well as the impatient Irken could as Dib slept. He hadn't seen the Human in months only to have him literally drop out of thin air. Earlier he had heard him mumble in his sleep, but he hadn't caught anything.  
  
Gir seemed happy to have Dib around. The little robot was all Zim had from his old life. And was all he really wanted to keep.  
  
"Mmwhere am I?" A horse voice asked.  
  
"I don't know. All the markers of the area are gone." Zim said putting on a thick glove before he placed a wet rag on Dibs' forehead.   
  
Dib sat up and held the rag himself. "You helped me." He said. "Just like he said you would."  
  
"Just like who said I would?" Zim asked trying to look busy or at least in control.  
  
"He, I mean, me. I mean. I was in the future, and I told myself what would happen." He pulled the rag from his head. "Boy that sounds crazy."  
  
Zim looked over at Gir who was giggling at a ball of dust. "Not really."  
  
Dib stretched then unconsciously moved his hand to push his glasses back up on his nose. When his hand came only into contact with the bridge of his nose he looked startled. "My glasses, where are they?"  
  
Zim held out a pair of shattered frames. "I found them when you landed. You even had glass in the eye Gir replaced."  
  
Dib waved his hand in front of his face. "But, I can see." He looked around the room, everything was in focus. "I can see straight!" He just realized his older self hadn't been wearing glasses. Odd how he only thought of that now.  
  
Gir stood up and looked over at his Master and the Dib-Human who was going on about his eyes. "I fixed-ed them!" Gir said proudly before toppling over to giggle happily in the dirt.  
  
Zim tapped a finger to his chin. "Perhaps Gir was more exuberant in his task then I intended."  
  
A silence fell. Dib pulled his knees up under his chin. He looked Zim over. He was very different, it was amazing that only four months had done this.   
  
Zim had a bruise around his right eye and a long dark green bruise mark on the side of his face. His uniform was torn and dirty, he looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks.   
  
"You look like hell." Dib said.  
  
"You don't look much better Human." Zims' red eyes flickered almost to life before they dropped back to the ground.  
  
More silence.  
  
"There is a Human resistance camp, not far from here." Zim suddenly said.  
  
"Why would you want to help Humans?" The old habit of mistrust showed brightly.  
  
Zims' eyes did come to life this time. "Anything for my revenge against the Tallest." He straightened up. "I need your help to contact them. They won't trust an Irken."  
  
"And they shouldn't." Dib shot.  
  
Zim snarled. "I am trying to help you *Human*." He growled.  
  
"This is all your fault!" Dib yelled motioning to the small alcove that was a crumbling living room under rubble.  
  
Zim made a move to respond but stopped before he could say anything. His antenna drooped and his head dropped low. He sat down hard and shuddered.  
  
Dib thought the alien was crying until Zims' head shot back up, he growled. His arachno-legs sprang out and lifted Zim off the ground as he suddenly got very angry. "I did everything ever asked of me! And still they left me to die!" He spoke in a tone Dib had only heard when Zim was yelling at him. "I'll not let them get away with this betrayal." Zim hissed narrowing his eyes. "Even if it means helping you and your race."  
  
He wouldn't admit it to the Human but this was the best he had felt in weeks. He could feel the drive to accomplish something return.  
  
"Alright then." Dib said standing up. "I'll talk with the resistance camp." He held out a hand to Zim who was still up in a defensive pose.  
  
Zim let himself on the ground and retracted his extra-legs. He shook Dibs' hand. "Good." He said briskly.  
  
"Good." Dib said just as briskly.  
  
***  
  
Dib approached the camp Zim had pointed out to him. He made no move to hide himself as he passed ruined cars and flattened buildings. He glanced around nervously unsure of what might happen.  
  
He stopped dead when a figure bolted out in front of him with a pistol aimed at his head. He looked older than Dib, but not by much.  
  
"Who are you?" The other boy demanded.  
  
"My name is Dib." Dib said trying his best to look non-threatening.   
  
A second figure emerged from behind a car, this one was much older. "Where did you come from?" He asked keeping his rifle on Dib.  
  
"From back that way." Dib said pointing behind him. "I've been holed up back there since." He paused. "For awhile."   
  
The two rebels took the pause for denial of the war. Something they had seen quite a bit of.  
  
"Alright. You come with us. But we warn you." The older rebel said. "Any funny move and you drop where you stand."  
  
Dib nodded and let them lead him on. They took him around a pile of rubble.   
  
Dib had no idea he had gotten this close. They were barely a hundred yards from where they had stopped him.   
  
All around was activity, but it was slightly dulled. Like none of these people thought it was really worth it to do, but did it anyway. A lot of people stopped to stare.  
  
Eventually a ring formed around him. He felt horribly self-conscious and wondered what to say when a voice reached him.   
  
"Get out of my way, I want to see him."   
  
It was so familiar, he had only heard it a few days ago by his record of time.  
  
A small figure pushed through the crowd. Purple hair tied back out of her face and squinty amber eyes glaring around till she saw him. Her clothes were dirty and so was she, but she looked the same to him.  
  
"Gaz?" Dib asked.  
  
She walked forward cautiously and looked him over. She paced a little to the side and looked him straight in the eye. "Dib?"  
  
He nodded. "Yeah Gaz, it's me Dib."  
  
She smiled, that should have been his warning. She suddenly hauled back and slugged him right between the eyes.   
  
"Ow! Gah! Gaz geez!" He cried out putting his hands to his head. "What'd you do that for?" He asked rubbing at tears that threatened from the sudden pain. "That was for leaving like you did." She said. Same old Gaz.  
  
"Well gee I'm so sorry! Being sucked into a time warp does that sometimes!" He rubbed his nose and checked for blood. "That really hurt."  
  
Gaz looked at the rest. "It's him. No one else could be that wimpy and still talk back."  
  
Dib rolled his eyes but decided not to say anything. She could still hit him again. 


	3. part 3

(A/N: Uh...I've been really slacking off on my disclaimers. So, I don't own this, much...I mean I'm sure the plot's pretty original but the characters aren't mine. Anycrap...)  
  
Future Shock  
  
"Why should we even think you know what you're saying? You're a kid."  
Dib looked up at the unbelieving face of an older kid. "Because I saw Zim for what he was before any of you. If I can trust him in any way, you can too."  
He sat across the table from the leaders of the small resistance. Small wonder that they were all under the age of eighteen, most adults panicked and gave in while some of the smarter children ran. "Besides I'm not that much younger than you are."  
"I don't believe your story about being taken to the future." Angry eyes from a brown-headed kid with a scar on his face glared at him.  
"I wouldn't either but look at me, better yet my eye." Dib tapped the metal ring around his eye. "I've felt the sting of this war too." That wasn't a real lie, sort of a version of the truth.  
"You could be working for that alien."  
Gaz sat a little to the side of the one who had said that. She watched her brother and could see the outrage before it actually surfaced.  
"I would NEVER work for him!" He slammed his fist on the table.  
"He's telling the truth." Gaz said.  
Dib was surprised. He unconsciously rubbed the new bruise on his face from where she had decked him. She was defending him?   
"I say we let him in the camp. We know water will injure him, we'll just keep the hoses on alert."  
The three other members of the group exchanged looks. They finally nodded in agreement.  
"So be it." The first of them to speak said.   
***  
Zim fidgeted slightly. He held Girs' leash tightly so the little bot wouldn't run off. He followed Dib wondering why on the moons of his world he was even trusting this Human. He could be very well leading him to a trap.  
Truth be told he was terrified. He was only steps away from hyperventilating in fear.   
Dib suddenly stopped and turned to Zim. "We're here."  
There was the sound of water rushing. Zim cringed in response and saw the liquid running out of a hose held by a teenage Human.  
His eyes darted around to find he was surrounded. Trapped...Betrayed!  
Dib clamped a hand on Zims' shoulder. "Calm down, freaking out will do you no good."  
Zim shook his hand away but remained still.  
"Hello!" Gir chirped waving at the people.  
One of the leaders stepped forward. "Well?"  
"This is Zim. He's here to help us against the 'Tallest'." Dib said. He pointed to Gir. "That's his android. A bit odd, but harmless."  
Zim got nervous again. The sound of water continued. He wished they'd shut it off. He was vaguely aware of Dib speaking on his behalf. But his eyes were trained on the kid with the hose.  
Horrible images of the water falling on him filled his head. He started to make those small, hyperventilating gasps.  
Dib stopped talking and looked at Zim. Why was he...oh damn...the hose. "Turn off the hose."  
"Not until he's proven he won't harm us." One kid said.  
"You've got him paranoid. The water won't help anything." Dib said.  
The kid with the hose looked blankly at what he held till Gaz threw a piece of rubble at him. "Turn it off already Gup!"  
The kid rubbed the side of his arm and went to turn off the water.  
Zim turned slightly to see her. He hadn't been aware that Gaz was still alive. He had attempted to capture her soon after the take over but she had already been gone. He looked away when her angry amber eyes fell on him.  
"Will you let him stay then?" Dib asked.  
The small resistance group looked from one leader to the next all eyes eventually falling to Gaz. Her purple hair bounced as she nodded. "Let's give him a chance."  
"Alright then. He can stay. But one wrong move and he leaves us. Or dies."  
Zim nodded but didn't say thank you. He still had his pride, as battered as it was. 


	4. part 4

Future Shock  
  
Shuffling sounds. Dibs' eyes opened to see a small form reach for the light. His eyes snapped shut moment before light filled the room.   
"Mrrrmm, did you have to do that?"  
The other person turned to him sharply. "What are you doing in here?" A slightly nasal voice asked.  
"Well I was sleeping, but now." He sat up and stretched. "I guess I'm awake."  
Crimson eyes narrowed slightly. "I thought you would be down with the rest of them."  
Dib shrugged. "I may be Human Zim, but I don't think they like me any more than they like you."  
"My luck that the only one keeping me from being doused." He paused. "From being harmed by those Humans below is you." Zim said closing the door.  
Dib stood up and dusted off his clothes. A year after joining up with the resistance and they still had their personal fight. "Fate has a sense of humor after all." He went to pass Zim and go out the door but paused.  
Dib had grown some and something about Zim seemed out of place. "Hey, did you get taller?"  
Zim cocked an 'eyebrow'. "Taller?"  
"Yeah. I mean we were pretty close in height before, and we still are. I'm a good two inches taller." Dib held a hand at his forehead trying to size them both.  
Zim immediately began to pat himself down looking his body over frantically. "Taller? I'm taller?"  
"Yeah, what's up with that? I thought you were an adult." Dib said pulling his coat tighter.  
"I, am, but." He seemed overly fascinated at the phenomena.   
"Zim?"  
The Irken looked up.   
"What's the big deal about you being taller?"  
At first Zim was confused. Then he realized he hadn't told any Human about how his race considered who was better than others. "My people, we judge by height."  
Dib raised an eyebrow. "That's, just weird." He started to back out the door.  
Zim ignored him. This might be a good thing. If he got taller the Tallest might get different ideas about him. Now if he could just pin point the source of the growth.  
He watched Dib go down the hall. This would take time bye himself. With the Humans help the search would go faster. "Dib!"  
Dib turned around. "What?"  
Zim stood out in the hall now and clasped his hands behind his back. "I have an idea."  
***  
"So, you're telling us, that if we find out what makes you tall your rulers will trust you again?"  
Zim nodded.  
The boy who had spoken sat back. "How do we know you won't side with them once your in their favor again."  
Zims restrained his anger. "I have more reason to despise the Tallest than you do Human."  
"More reason?!" The boy shot up on his feet.  
"Ker, sit down." An even female voice said.  
"But he."  
"Sit." Amber eyes looked out from under purple hair. "What do you think Dib?"  
"With the proper equipment we could find the cause in less than a day." The few people around him heard the faint electric sound as his replaced eye moved to glance around the room. "With what we have, it could take months or years."  
Gaz looked to the boy next to her. "Gon?"  
Gon twitched a little under her eyes. He may be the real leader of the group but Gaz would more often than not make the decision. And he knew she had already decided. "Zim has proved helpful in the past. When the Slaughtering Rats came. He helped. I say we find it and trick the Tallest."  
She nodded. "Good. Then get to work."  
***  
"This is what you eat?" Dib asked motioning to the 'food' on the table.  
"Yes."  
"On purpose?"  
Zim scowled. "I am an Irken, I don't eat the filth you do."  
"But Zim, this is what? Alga, bread mold and, is that rust?" Dib picked through the bowl.  
"Yes. I got it off of an old water valve. All of this is easy for me to digest, even if it's a very limited selection." He sounded disappointed at that fact.  
"Okay. We'll check on the living things first. Its all Earth based. They may have a chemical in them that trigger growth hormones. Hand me a sample of blood." He snapped some old goggles over his eyes and held out a hand.   
Zim reluctantly handed Dib the vial. They had taken a pint of his blood. Which was a deep red color, darker than human blood.  
He hadn't minded the needle, or the sight of his own blood. But the resemblance of the activity to a morbid scene from his worst nightmares had made him nervous. He almost expected tall men in white coats and arrogant laughs to come in at any moment.  
It was all he could do to not 'freak out' as Dib called it.  
It had taken him a long time to find things he could eat safely on this rock. Until his betrayal he had been using a replicator for the right food. He had gnawed on a rusty nail that he found smelled and tasted like Cever. A fast growing mineral they could actually raise fresh on the ships. It was close but Cever didn't give him a bloated feeling.  
He glanced over at Dib to find the Human staring.  
"Worried?"  
Zim folded his arms together. "About what?"  
"That we won't find it." He reached for an empty vial.  
"Of course not. If we don't isolate it I'll still get it by eating like I have been."  
There was a clink of metal on glass. "Then are you worried that we will?"  
"What is this questioning?" Zim asked feeling agitated.   
"Sorry."  
Pause.  
"You don't have to be here you know. With the limited equipment it's a one person job."  
Zim shook his head. "And do what? The Humans here ignore me, except for maybe Gaz. But she is not one to be a conversationalist."  
"Like you are." Dib said not looking up.  
"Hrrm." Zim muttered.  
"What about Gir?" Rattling sounds as he shifted a rack of tubes.  
"The Humans adore him." Zim shifted in his chair.  
"Jealous?"  
"No!"  
"Just asking."  
Another pause.  
Zim stood up. "I'll be back to check on the results later."  
"Okay." Dib didn't look up.  
Dib heard the door shut and lifted his head. He couldn't help but smile. Zim was different, still arrogant yes but different. He wondered just how long before he got to that calm, even-tempered creature he had met on his 'trip'.  
Guess he'd have to just wait it out. He sighed and went back to the sample in front of him. 


	5. part 5

Future Shock  
  
Clink, scrape, foom!  
"Gah!"  
Zims' antenna twitched at the sounds. He was sitting with his back to Dib who was working away at finding what made the Irken grow. Zims' eye lowered back to the 'Rubix Cube' he had found a few nights ago. "Did you wound yourself horribly?" He asked not turning to Dib.  
"Erg, I'm fine, my eyebrows are still there." Dib said. "I have to remember your blood plasma is highly flammable by itself."  
Zim turned the cube a few more times enjoying the click sounds it made. He liked this toy.  
The door came open. The bad thing about that was that Zim had his feet resting on a table right behind it. The person who was already in the room had slamed the door wide open hitting the table. And knocking it right over.  
Zim hit the ground hard. "My spine!" He glared up but found Gaz grinning at him.  
"I see you two are hard at work."  
Dib turned to look at his sister. It never ceased to amaze him. She was still the gothic don't-touch-me gamer chick. But she was listened to now. She made decisions most of which he suspected were based from her games.  
"I'm close I know I am." Dib said turning back to the liquids and powders before him. He picked up a test tube and poured the pale blue liquid into a sample of Zims' blood. The red dissolved away as steam rose. "Oops."  
"What?" Zim asked struggling to get up. "What happened?"  
Dib dumped the test tube. "Nothing, nothing at all."  
Zim didn't look convinced but chose to ignore it.   
"Well I'm not here to just check up on you. We need another pair of eyes for the West barrier. Gir's been helping, sort of." Gaz said, her eyes were still so squinted unless she WANTED you to see them.  
"I'll go. Dib you stay." Zim said crossing his arms.   
Dib was, by now, used to the 'order giving' style Zim used. "Fine." He started to tinker around with a rusty nail.  
Zim went with Gaz out into the dim hallway. He was slightly taller than her and had been forced to change his clothes for something better fitting. The Human clothes itched a little but they fit and kept him warm.  
"Dib expects to have the element by the end of the month." Zim said feeling the need for some conversation.  
"He's had six already. The armada landed last month." Gaz said pushing some hair from her face.  
"So far the." He cringed. "Water, has kept them at bay."  
"If they only knew you were on our side."  
"Yes." Zim said slowing slightly. "If they only knew."  
***  
A few wary eyes fluttered from Zim then back to the outlying lands. They had moved around a lot in the past, what was it now? Zim could hardly remember, was it a year and a half or was it two now? Time didn't pass to well in a war zone.  
"Weehheehe!" Gir giggled as he ran around in the commons area. The younger children of the under 18 rebellion delighted in his antics. The small SIR unit never wore his puppy suite anymore. It had been torn to shreds some time ago. He had dents and scrapes from when he had taken on a Slaughtering Rat Person, and won. Not that Gir recognized the Rat Person had died. Zim was sure that if Gir knew he had actually KILLED something he would have shut himself off, permanently.  
Zim pulled the scarf up closer over his face. Out in the open he covered his clearly Irken markings incase a scout spotted him.  
He looked down over the barrier that was basically a thirty-car-pile-up. Gaz was on the outside with Gon and a few others collecting bits and pieces that the group could use.  
One of the gatherers looked up at him. Ker, he gave Zim a hateful glare and went back to collecting.   
Zim clenched his jaw. That one was totally against even allowing Zim to live. His whole family had been taken by Zims' droids in preparation for the armadas' arrival.  
Zim had tried to explain why he had done all those things. Why he was even there. But Ker never seemed to understand where exactly it was that Zim had come from. A militaristic culture, where if you didn't follow orders you were better off dead than what they did to you.  
Ker had actually tried to hit Zim. But he had ducked and pinned the Human with the aid of his extra legs. It had been out in the open, everyone had seen it start.   
Zim had spoken loudly enough for all to hear. He was not a weak follower of the Tallest any more. And he was going to help the Humans whether they liked it or not.  
From that time on Ker had left him alone. But still exchanged those angry stares with him. Almost like a lower intelligence level version of Dib.  
Zim looked back out to the horizon. Everything had been decimated by his droids. He was still proud that he had in-fact been able to take over the Earth with Dib out of the way. But as of right now he was not proud of his leaders.  
He knew he was manic at times and didn't always do the greatest job, but he had given everything he'd had to them. And they had thrown him aside when they got what they wanted.  
Now all he wanted was revenge.  
Then maybe peace, if he could ever get himself to live with it.  
"I got it!" Dib pounded up the ramp that had been set up to allow the guards onto the pile-up.  
Zim turned to him curiously.   
Dib held up the rusty nail he had been messing with. "It's the Iron!"  
The other guards watched cautiously. They didn't trust Dib much. He had Irken technology in his body and was as close as anyone dared to get to Zim. Well besides Gaz, but they all trusted Gaz. If they didn't she gave them that creepy evil eye.  
"Iron." Zim said rather than asked.  
"Yes! Well, plain rust anyway, I've been isolating everything to try and find a single cause." Dib seemed over excited. Gaz had looked up to find out what all the noise was about.  
Dib kept going. "But then I dropped the nail in some of your blood, the cells it touched actually multiplied!" Dib inhaled. "It's not supposed to do that!"  
"Dib you found it?" Gon called up.   
"I did!" Dib yelled back at him.  
Zim found it slightly ironic that the thing that made him grow and would cause him much pleasure was created by water, the thing that had caused him much pain. He glanced down to see Gon looking wildly happy and with one arm around, Gaz? He felt a pang somewhere he couldn't identify.   
He suddenly saw Gaz's eyes she was smiling? No, smirking, no, that wasn't right. She just looked, amused. Yes that was right.  
He couldn't help but copy her look.   
Gon looked at Zim then down at Gaz. He took his arm off her slowly.   
Dib was too happy with his discovery to notice that anything was even slightly amiss. Though I'm sure if he did, he would have slugged either Gon or Zim, or perhaps even both. 


	6. part 6

A/N: Hehe...use your imagination at the end...this is mostly a set up chapter. Wee fun!  
  
Future Shock  
  
Thin Irken fingers traveled over the slowly developing transmitter. Pieced together over five years from bits of Human devices and what he could scavenge from fallen droids it gradually took form.  
He worked in a small spare room flooded with magenta lights from fallen Voot cruisers. He found that purple to be the most beautiful color. He could see better in this sort of light, as did the rest of his people.  
The door behind him came open sending white Earth light in.  
"Zim come on!" Her voice was impatient, but the light made her hair look magenta.  
"What? What's going on?" He stood up, four feet tall now, three years gone by.  
"Just come!" She grabbed his now ungloved hands and dragged him out of the small room. Once in the hall Zim was still confused but was in for a greater surprise.  
Gaz suddenly slammed him against the wall. She was very strong and the force of the kiss caught him entirely off guard. His body reacted violently by coiling anything he could around her. His arms held her tight while his tongue searched her mouth.  
She pulled away slowly grinning like a Cheshire cat.  
Zim blinked and tried to sort out what had just happened. "I, Gaz." He shivered. "What was that about?"  
She nuzzled his neck. "Just because."  
Zims' eyes closed slowly, his right leg started to shake like a dogs. He gave a stifled groan.  
His eyes opened at the sound of a cough.  
Gaz pulled back once more and turned to see Dib.  
"Sorry to disturb you two." He said turning his eyes away. "But Gon wants to speak with you Gaz."  
She gave him a look straight out of their child hood. "Fine." She pushed a finger in the center of Zims' chest. He shivered making an inarticulate sound. "We'll continue this later." She pushed past Dib disappearing through an old door.  
Dib tapped a foot on the floor looking around the hall then glanced at Zim. The alien looked sort of pleased with himself. "Mind if I ask what that was about?" Dib asked.  
Zim shrugged. "It's not my fault she's aggressive."  
Dib shook his head. Gaz and Zim had gotten together a few months ago. Dib was sixteen, Gaz was fifteen, and in this world that made them adults.  
There was a bit of a silence.  
"How long before you think you can contact the Tallest?" Dib asked. Zim had by now reached his full height.  
"I still need a few parts." Zim said. He crouched down along the wall letting another pause go by. "Dib, tell me. When you were in the future. Did, did you, or he or anyone say if Gaz and I." He paused. "Do we stay like this?"  
Dib was almost surprised at the fear Zim showed.  
"I don't know." He said. "I do know you were wearing her pendent."  
"Is that why you're letting us be like this?"  
"If it will be like that, who am I to stop it?"  
"Just like you're not going to stop it when it comes around again."  
Dib knew exactly what 'it' Zim was talking about now. "I didn't before, I can't again."  
Zim shrugged. "I just think you could change it."  
"How? He said he couldn't. So I can't."  
Zims' antenna twitched and he stood back up. "It seems you've made up your mind." His antenna twitched again. "I think we should head out. I hear Gaz yelling."  
Dib tilted his head listening. He heard the faint sound of angry yelling. He sighed. "Yup. Let's go."  
***  
"I'm going to kill you!" Gaz screamed moments before she jumped at Ker.  
Zim used his extra legs to spring forward and pull her off the boy careful of her blind anger.  
"What's going on here?" Dib demanded.  
"He said Zims' just setting us up for the Tallest!" Gaz screamed struggling against the aliens' grip.  
Ker sat up wiping blood off his face. "Lousy alien! You turned her against us!" He stood up seething.  
"You're out of line Ker." Gon said.  
"And you! You're no leader! Letting this, this slime live with us!"  
The group stood watching the obviously one-sided struggle. No one listened to Ker, he wasn't right in the head.  
"Watch what you say Human." Zim hissed. "I don't take such criticism lightly."  
"I'll show you criticism." Ker growled before attacking the alien.  
Zim pushed Gaz away from him and struck at Ker. He was taller now, a bit gawky but far stronger than the Human.  
Kers' head snapped back at a high kick landing him on the ground.  
Zim advanced again literally dripping with hostility as Ker tried to get his head straight. "Maybe you haven't learned yet." His voice was a low hiss.  
"Zim!" Dib yelled. "Don't."  
Zim turned back to Ker. "You try this again and I'll have your head." Zim growled before backing off entirely.  
"Alright, break it up." Gon shouted at the others. "Back to what you were doing."   
The group slowly dispersed as much as they could.  
"Dib help me with him." Gon motioned Dib over. They hauled Ker off to get his face looked at.   
Zim glared hard in the direction that meddlesome Human had been taken. He didn't feel Gaz taking his arm till she pulled. He let her lead him away back into building they were sheltering in.  
"We shouldn't."  
"No." She pushed him against the wall for the second time that day. "Just be quiet and let me finish what I started."  
He did as she said and kept his mouth shut, metaphorically speaking. 


	7. part 7

(A/N: Okee doke...nothing graphic, but still...)  
  
Future Shock  
  
They waited patiently as the Irken figure approached. Purple eyes showed a nervous distrust while nearly identical red eyes showed their owners aggressive temper.  
The figure they watched was shrouded in the black cloak of a new tall Irken. Young Irkens who had reached a certain height were shrouded in this until they were given their official title as a Taller. This Irken was older than most in his position but still was being given the same rite.  
Red blinked slowly. "To who do your loyalties lie?"  
The figure stopped walking as soon as his leader had spoken. "To the hive." He said letting his thin hands hang by his side. "And to the Tallest."  
Purple folded his hands together. Since there were two tallest the ritual was split between the two of them. "By your height, you are seen to be strong." He said.   
"As is our way." The cloaked figure said.  
"Would you be Tallest?" Purple asked.  
"No." The figure said.  
The two taller Irkens didn't look entirely sure but it was the correct answer.  
The figure took down the hood. Showing red eyes and a face the two Tallest Irkens had thought dead for so long.  
Red scowled but continued. "Welcome to your new rank as a Taller, Zim."  
Zim made a gracious bow. "Thank you, my Tallest."  
***  
The newest Irken over seer touched down on earth. He cast his eyes around the strong hold he had been assigned to.  
"Taller Zim." A shorter Irken approached him. "It's good to see you made it here in good health."  
"I want to see the Humans." Zim said. He silently begged to go to his quarters and out of his itchy new uniform. A few cleanings and it would be soft enough to wear properly.   
"As you wish." The other Irken said. He led them to the open pen where a large number of Humans were being kept. "They're dirty I know. But this is a group to be shipped out in a week or so. We have newer ones over here if you wish to see them."  
"Of course."  
There was a smaller pen to the side. 'Wild' Humans were placed there before their brief conditioning to be slaves.  
Zims eyes snapped to a purple haired figure among them. He left the other Irken and descended into the small pen. He heard his 'tour guide' call after him and run timidly into the sparsely populated pen.   
"Taller one, this is not wise!"  
Zim ignored him. He reached out for the girl when a hand knocked his away. The boy had a wild spike of black hair and a tarnished metal ring around a silver eye.   
"Don't touch her." The Human said.  
Zim saw the other Irken start to pull a discipline tool and stopped him. "I'll not have these Humans harmed and pull down my slave quota." He said harshly. "The male is only protecting her. I'd have to guess she is his in some way, a mate or by blood." Zim said. "There are other ways of dealing with them."  
He turned slowly on the boy who had thwarted him. "I won't hurt her Human. In fact I can employ the both of you. You seem to be a strong creature, and she has her own qualities." He leered at the girl.   
The other Irken found that a bit disturbing. But Zim was his superior so he didn't speak against it.  
The purple haired girls' eye twitched and she jumped at Zim nearly knocking him to the ground. He grabbed her arms and used his extra legs to lift them both up rendering most of her fighting abilities useless. "Ah! A fighter!" He crowed. "I like that." He dropped her so that she landed on the Human boy. "Have them delivered to my quarters. If I don't find them there it will be your head." He said to the other Irken.  
"Yes of course Taller." The Irken said.  
***  
Zim narrowed his eyes into the distance. "How far away are they?"  
"Far enough." Dib said. They made it over another hill.  
The three had left the compound late last night. Zim had left behind his intent to find the Human rebel base with the two Humans and that he was to not be followed under any circumstances.  
"Droid, three o'clock." Gaz said pointing.   
Indeed a droid was moving slowly not far from them. It looked heavily damaged but still went about its duty of cleaning out the area.  
"We should take it out." She said eyeing the limping droid with disdain.  
Zim exchanged a glance with Dib. "Sure."  
They approached the droid from its blind side. Most of its sensory mechanisms seemed to have been melted over. Probably hit with some acid or other from a resistance group.  
"It must really be damaged." Dib hissed. "I doubt it even knows it's still walking."  
"They weren't that smart to begin with." Zim said. "Destroy and move on. That's all they're really programmed for."  
"And we all know you know what their programming is." Gaz said pinching Zim hard. But rather than the Irken giving a squeal of pain he shivered violently.   
"Gaz, I know it's been a while but this is hardly the place." He said.  
Dib chose to ignore the comment. "I think I can get him from here." He said unslinging the Irken laser rifle from his shoulder.  
"No way, we're going closer." Gaz said, she was more than ready to take down the droid, but the more damage done up close the better. She got up and bolted for the story tall droid from behind. Its headless frame meandered farther unaware of her presence.  
"Come on! Its dead to anything!" She called out. She didn't see the droid run across a car pile up. Didn't see it trip and fall  
"Gaz!" The Irken voice was lost in the explosion.  
Both rushed forward Dib slightly faster than Zim who, in his panic, had forgotten to use his extra legs.  
Dib stopped dead in his track and turned around catching Zim before he could see. "No don't." He pushed Zim back.  
"Let me see! Gaz!" He tried to go over Dib but the Human was indeed very strong and Zim scared witless.  
"It's no use Zim." His voice cracked.  
  
~"Promise you'll come back to me." Amber eyes opened under purple hair.~  
  
Zim struggled a little against Dib only to catch sight of a shoe. Torn open and empty. "No."  
  
~"Only if you'll be here to come back to."~  
  
"Not her."  
  
~"Gaz, I want you to have this." He put a green metal band in her hand as they sat in the dark. It had a brilliant red Irken symbol blazing on it. "It used to represent the most important thing to me."~  
  
"Please not her." Zim fell to his knees with Dib.   
Dib made a strained whimper. "Not like this."  
  
~"Zim, I."~  
~"It's worth nothing now. Because what is most important to me is something else."~  
~She took the band putting it around her wrist.~  
  
A metal green circlet clinked to the ground with other bits of falling debris. It was fire scarred and the red Irken symbol more of a maroon.  
  
~She took the skull pendent off of her neck and put it on Zim quietly. "For luck."~  
  
Light flashed off the skull around Zims neck as a pained Irken roar echoed accompanied by the suffering crying of a Human.  
  
~He smiled and kissed her. "For luck."~ 


	8. part 8

A/N: I love those twisted little Kodak moments you have in war-zones.  
  
Future Shock  
  
Zim sat alone in the dark. Not crying, not sobbing, just staring blankly at the floor. Not in all those long months he had spent in Irken territory did it occur to him that he might loose her. That he might never again get to hold her the way he had before.  
She had been a strong warrior. Something every Irken would have looked for in a mate had his race done that anymore.   
He turned a little burned bracelet over in his hands. His fingers felt over the Irken symbol not for the first time.  
The door clanked open. Dib was there, a tall dark figure shown to Zim by bright Earthen light. The alien had taken refuge in the back of a windowless van that had lost its ability to move years ago.  
They had been back in the camp less than a day. Gaz's death was being mourned outside, she had been a center of life. A person so many had looked to in these horrible days of war.  
"What is it?" Zim croaked letting his eyes stray away from the harsh light.  
Dib motioned to someone out of Zims sight to remain where they were and crawled up into the van. "I know it's bad." Dib said. "It hurts me too. But."  
"But what?" Zim snapped. Irkens had short tempers when in despair. "Are you going to tell me to hold my head up and keep going in her name? Or were you going to tell me that she would have wanted me to keep fighting no matter my own pain?" He kicked his foot against an old toolbox letting the new pain in his foot force tears out of him. He wanted quite desperately to allow some vague sign of Human emotion out.  
"That's not what."  
"Really?" Zim interrupted again. "Not going to play the hero between us Dib? I thought I was supposed to be the emotionless alien that battled for humanity that only you could give." His voice became an angry hiss.  
"Zim you're not listening!"  
"I don't have to listen!" Zim stood up hitting his head accidentally on the ceiling of the van. He winced this time and rubbed his probably bruised head. "I don't want your pity *Dib*."  
"I'm not giving you pity, I'm trying to tell you."  
Zim growled outright at him.   
Dib finally lost his temper. He had gone into this with as much resolve as he could muster. He knew the Irken would be extremely angry but this was getting ridiculous. He hit Zim, slugged him right in the jaw sending him into the wall of the van and into the floor.  
Dib flexed his hand. "No matter how badly I've wanted to do that Zim I'm sorry I had to."  
Zim glared at him with his brilliant red eyes.  
"I came here to tell you that Gaz left you something. She kept it secret and wanted to tell you here."  
"Secret?" Zim sounded appalled. "She would have never kept anything from me. What game are you playing Dib? I swear to you if you think that."  
Dib feared another tangent and did want to hit Zim again but settled for screaming. "Zim shut up! I'm trying to tell you about your son!"  
Zim stopped mid word. "My what?"  
Dib stormed as well as one could in a van to the back doors motioning someone closer. A girl from the group appeared holding a small bundle in a coat. She handed it carefully to Dib who cooed down at the thing.  
He carried it closer to Zim. He had gotten up on his knees and peered at what Dib held.  
A tiny pale green hand waved into the air as Dib pulled the edges of the coat back. Squinty amber eyes peered out under a head of sparse purple hair where two thin antennae stood stiffly out on his small head. The infants' mouth opened in a yawn showing evenly spaced Irken teeth cutting through and a coiled segmented tongue inside.  
"He's two months old now. Her pregnancy was only six months." Dib said glancing to Zim.   
Zim stared at the child with mixed features of two races. Human eyes with Irken skin, he looked so strange there wrapped in an old brown coat. He reached out silently and was surprised with a tiny hand caught his finger gripping it tightly.  
"What's his name?" Zim suddenly asked.  
"Zig, people have been calling him Ziggy." Dib said. "Do you want to hold him?"  
"I wouldn't know." Zim stuttered as the infant let go of his finger. "I've never held, I mean."  
"Here, like this."  
Dib handed Zig to his father who held the tiny creature awkwardly.  
It was quite for a long time. The girl who had brought the child was shooing others away from the family moment.  
"How do they treat him?" Zim asked staying as still as he could lest he disturb his son.  
"Like any child. We've done all we can to keep him out of Irken sight. We have no idea what they'd do to him if they got him." Dib said sitting back on the floor of the van.  
"He has her eyes." Zim said quietly.  
"And your lungs. He can go on for hours if he fells like it."  
Zim almost took offense to that.   
"Come on, let's get out of this place. It's too hot." Dib said scooting to the double doors of the vehicle. Once of the ground he gently took Zig from Zim and let the alien hold him once he was out in the open.  
As they walked a thought struck Zim. "You know, you didn't have to hit me." He said sounding a bit offset from the third bruise he'd acquired inside that van.  
Dib smirked. "No problem. It was my pleasure." 


End file.
